Representing ”One Mountain One Site”
Mount Koya is located in the Kii mountain area, in the northern part of Kii Peninsula. From ancient times, the mountain has been worshipped as a miracle. In Mount Koya, Kobo Daishi Kukai founded the base monastery of the Shingon sect of Buddhism in 816. Kongobuji temple is its main temple.
Presently, it is the name of just the temple, but originally, Kongobuji Main Temple referred to the entire Mount Koya. Mount Koya is described as ”One Mountain One Site” with the whole of Mount Koya being a temple, and the rest of the mountain being part of the temple property.
”Hot spring” and ”ingredients” bring relaxation to body and soul
Nakata visited ”The Golden Hall” and ”Okunoin” within Kongobuji Temple. He also visited ”Koyasan Reihokan Museum”. ”The Golden Hall” is the main hall of Kongobuji, which is a tall structure within a large temple edifice. Almost all of the important events at Mount Koya take place in ”The Golden Hall”.
Together with ”The Golden Hall”, ”Okunoin” is also a central part of Mount Koya religion. This is where Kukai fell into deep meditation and attained Buddhahood during life, and is the sacred resting place of Kukai. The two kilometer trail from the Ichinohashi entrance to the mausoleum is surrounded by cedar groves that are more than 1000 years old, and the tombstones of more than 200,000 lords line both sides of the road.
In the ”Koyasan Reihokan Museum”, many cultural assets are preserved as world class treasures. Its existence serves as a true history teller.
Here, visitors remember Kukai who drastically changed the history of Japanese Buddhism at the temple which he founded. Nakata, attaining a peace of mind, sat quietly, and meditated.
